‘Oh, yes, we have.’
‘But how? I mean . . .’
There was a note of pride in her voice when she told him, ‘While you were in the bath I emptied the pot Harry keeps money in to give to the church. I can also pawn my wedding and engagement rings, which should bring us another few quid. And before you start saying I’d no right to help myself to Harry’s church money, that money is intended for use in helping the poor unfortunates of this parish . . . and you can’t deny that we’re about as poor and unfortunate as you can get.’
Glen couldn’t argue with that. His thoughts whirled. He felt a certain amount of guilt at being the beneficiary of funds gained in this way. But if he let slip this opportunity to improve his life so drastically, there was no telling when, if ever, another would come along.
He realised Jan was nudging him in the side and turned and said, ‘Pardon, did you say something?’ He then noticed she was holding something in her hand, expecting him to take it. He looked at it in surprise. It was two pound notes.
‘A man needs some money in his pocket. If you feel guilty for taking it, knowing where it comes from, you could always make a donation to the church poor box when you’re in funds. Now are you coming or what? We’ve a lot to do today because I don’t intend to spend another night staring up at the stars or huddling in a flea-ridden lodging house.’
Glen accepted the money and smiled at her, saying, ‘I’m coming.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
Across town Cait was dragging her weary body down the stairs. Her head throbbed, eyes felt sore, and she knew her face was swollen and blotchy from the amount of crying she had done during the night. She was only up now as she was desperate for a drink of water and a couple of aspirin to ease her headache then she planned to return, cocoon herself in her bedclothes again, and nurse the incredible pain of loss and severe worry for her future that seemed to be overwhelming her.
She was so consumed by her own misery she did not see the suitcases piled by the front door. As she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, her mother, dressed for outdoors, pulling on black calf-leather gloves, came out of the lounge.
Spotting Cait, Nerys shot her a disinterested look and remarked, ‘So, you’ve decided to grace us with your presence.’
It was then that Cait noticed the suitcases. She gawped at them. Her mother had told her that the trip she’d planned to take her father to the specialist clinic was off as Cait had spent too much money on her wedding, so where could they be going?
When she asked her mother, Nerys responded briskly, ‘I’m taking your father abroad for his health. Not to the clinic of course, as your selfishness has ruled that out, but somewhere warmer than here.’ At this Cait frowned. But her wedding had only been called off yesterday evening. There had not been enough time for her mother to arrange a trip overseas at such short notice, surely? Then the awful truth dawned. Her parents had never had any intention of attending her wedding!
Before she had time to deal with the hurt and pain caused by this terrible discovery, her mother’s next words reached her.
‘When you leave on Saturday make sure you put your keys through the letterbox.’
In the circumstances she was facing, Cait couldn’t believe her mother was still expecting her to leave home so soon. She implored her, ‘Oh, but Mother, I’m not sure I can go it alone just now . . . Can’t I stay here for a little while longer at—’
Nerys cut in, ‘There’s no quicker way to get over a setback than keeping yourself busy, physically and mentally. Settling yourself in your own place is just the thing to do that. Staying off from work today, wallowing in self-pity, is not the way to get over a disappointment. You need to pull yourself together, Caitlyn. You’re eighteen in a few days and it’s about time you started acting like an adult, not a child always looking for sympathy.’
That was one thing she wasn’t doing – looking for sympathy where she knew she’d not get any. Cait felt she was not at all ready to make her own way in the world, but at least in her own place